Toumani Diabaté Collaborates with London Symphony Orchestra to Bridge African and Western Classical Music

Tonight, Ethiopian pianist and composer, Girma Yifrashewa, will make his debut at Carnegie Hall in New York City. The concert, titled 'Peace Unto Ethiopia: An Anthology of Original Works and Tributes,' is a composition by Ethiopian ethnomusicologist Dr. Ashenafi Kebede. Girma Yifrashewa is known for blending Western art music with Ethiopian folk melodies. The concert is a call to unity and promotes peace through the power of music. Ethiopia has a rich history in the arts, including notable figures like Emahoy Tsegué-Maryam Guèbrou. The event is organized by Tadias Magazine, which produces socially responsible events aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

In a related event, the Arizona Philharmonic will launch its seventh season on September 8 with a concert titled 'Passion, Peace, and Power.' The concert will feature violinist Dr. Katherine McLin and the AZ Phil orchestra, with Maestro Peter Bay returning as the Music Director and Conductor. The performance will take place at the Ruth Street Theater on the Prescott High School grounds in Prescott, Arizona. The program will include Felix Mendelssohn’s 'Violin Concerto in E Minor,' Arthur Honegger's 'Pastorale été,' Haydn’s 'Symphony No. 92 in G Major,' and Gwyneth Walker's 'Fanfare, Interlude, and Finale.' The concert will be preceded by a pre-concert talk at 2 p.m. Tickets can be purchased on the Arizona Philharmonic website.

American jazz musician and composer Ambrose Akinmusire, known for acclaimed albums including When the Heart Emerges Glistening (2011), Origami Harvest (2018), and Beauty is Enough (2023), will be performing at Hong Kong's Xiqu Centre in July 2024. Akinmusire's career has been marked by surprises, from his solo horn performances to collaborations with hip-hop artists like Kendrick Lamar. His most enduring recordings are with his quartet consisting of Sam Harris (piano), Harish Raghavan (bass), and Justin Brown (drums). Akinmusire gained industry recognition after winning the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition and the Carmine Caruso International Jazz Trumpet Solo Competition in 2007. His debut album Prelude ... to Cora was dedicated to his mother. Akinmusire's opening pair of Blue Note releases, When the Heart Emerges Glistening (2011) and The Imagined Savior is Far Easier to Paint (2014), showcased his compositional flair and soulful improvisation. He also collaborated with Kendrick Lamar on the final track of To Pimp a Butterfly (2015). The Ambrose Akinmusire Quartet will be performing at the Xiqu Centre Grand Theatre on July 26.

Malian kora maestro Toumani Diabaté has released the album Kôrôlén, a collaboration with the London Symphony Orchestra, bridging African and Western classical music. The album was recorded live in 2008 at the Barbican Center. Diabaté, known for his mastery of the kora, a 21-string harp-like instrument, has previously collaborated with flamenco group Ketama, blues artist Taj Mahal, and Björk. The project was led by Nick Gold of World Circuit, who has championed cross-cultural musical endeavors. The concert required balancing the kora with the orchestra, resulting in a delicate fusion of sound. Diabaté promotes the preservation and education of traditional kora music in Mali and teaches at the Balla Fasseke Conservatoire of Arts, Culture and Multimedia. His music blends the old and the new, connecting with the world and crossing cultural boundaries. The album Kôrôlén showcases the universality of music in bringing people together. [cd2624f4]